NASSARIIDAE 2 39 



Subgenus Hinia Gray 1847 

 Nassarms ambiguus Pulteney 1799 Variable Nassa 



Plate 231; figure 53a 



North Carolina to Florida and the West Indies. 



V2 inch in length, relatively light-shelled, usually pure white in color, 

 but occasionally with i or 2 narrow, spiral bands of light yellowish brown. 

 Number of strong, axial ribs per whorl varies from 8 to 12. Upper part of 

 whorl sometimes shouldered. Numerous spiral, rounded cords are strong 

 or weak. Parietal shield enamel-v/hite, usually not well-developed. N . con- 

 sensus Ravenel is possibly only a form of this unusually variable species 

 (fig. 53b). 



Nassarius trivittatus Say New England Nassa 



Plate 23 j 



Nova Scotia to South Carolina. 



% inch in length, rather light-shelled, 8 to 9 whorls; nuclear whorls 

 smooth. Whorls in spire with 4 to 5 rows of strong, distinct beads. Parietal 

 wall thinly glazed with white enamel. Outer lip sharp and thin. Whorls 

 slightly channeled just below the suture. Color light-ash to yellowish gray. 

 Common from shallow water to 45 fathoms. 



Nassarius perpinguis Hinds Western Fat Nassa 



Figure 530 



Puget Sound to Lower California. 



% to I inch in length, fairly thin, with a rather fragile outer lip. Similar 

 to N. calif ornianus, but with much finer sculpture (usually finely cancellate 

 or minutely beaded), and yellowish white in color with 2 or 3 narrow, spiral 

 bands of orange-brown, one of which borders the suture. The sculpture is 

 variable with spiral threads often predominant. Very abundant along most 

 of the coast. Intertidal flats to 50 fathoms. 



Nassarius calijornianus Conrad Californian Nassa 



Squaw Creek, Oregon, to Lower California. 



I inch in length, without a thick parietal shield and the outer lip not 

 thickened. Shell with numerous, rather coarse beads arranged in 20 to 30 

 axial, slanting ribs. 11 to 12 spiral threads on the last whorl; 5 to 7 on the 

 whorls above. Color white with an ashy or yellow-gray periostracum. 

 Moderately common just offshore to 35 fathoms. Compare with perpinguis. 



